Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



` I .A s sh --s ANDREW E. WHITMGRE. m fw Breach-Loading Fire-Arm. t

4 7,843. I Patented August 8, 1871,

Breach-Loading Flre-Arm.

L Patented August yB, 1871,

PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW E. WHITMQRE, OF ILION, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Speciication forming part of Letters Patent N o. 117,843, dated August 8, 1871.

To all whomv it may concern:

Be it'known that I, ANDREW E. WHITMORE, of Il ion Herkimer coiuity, State oi' New York, have invented certain Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms, ot' which 'the rollowin g is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view oi' the breechblock and other portions of a gun having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view representing the rear portion of the barrels of a double-barrel gun constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. V3 is a perspective view representing the barrels unlocked and swung down on their pivot, the hammers being held at half-cock. Fig. 4 is a longitudin al central section with the barrels locked in place and one of the hammers represented in its firing position. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line a: a: of Fig. 4 5 Fig. 6, the bolt for lock-` ing the barrels to the breech-block.

The first part of my invention consists in a bolt passing into slotted and recessed lugs or projections formed on the under side of the barrel near the point where it is pivoted to the breech-block, the bolt being thrown forward and backward in a direct line by operating the guard-lever or otherwise, whereby thel barrel may be instantly locked and rigidly held in its tiring position or be liberated to be swung down on its pivot to receive the cartridge as required; and the second part of my invention consists in a hammer-guard and lifter for pressing the hammers back to the position of half-cock, to prevent them from striking the tiring-pins when the bolt is withdrawn and the barrels are not locked in their firing position.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawing, A represents the breechblock, to which the barrels B B are pivoted at a in a well-known manner, in order that they may be thrown down out of their ring position to receive the cartridges at their breech ends. Gis the tang, and D the trigger-plate, between which the forward end or the stock (not shown) is secured. E is a guard-lever, pivoted at b to projections c, seen dotted, Fig. 4, on the underside of the trigger-plate D, the upper end of the guard-lever passing through a slot, d, therein, and being provided with ears or bifurcations ce, between which is secured ath one end of a short link, G, the other end oi' which enters a recess, fi, in the rear end L of a long bolt, H, which extends through a solid portion, l, of the breech-blockA,in to and through a keep-opening, m, Figs. 1 and 4, and thence through a solid portion, n, in the breech-block into an opening', o, of nearly rectangular form. From 10 to 11 the bolt is circular in cross-section, Fig. 6, being slightly beveled off at 12, from which point to 13 it is eut away, leaving it recta ngular. From 13 to 14 it is again circular, and at 15 it is beveled off as at 12, these parts 12 and 15 of the bolt forming heads u c, which enter correspondingly-shaped recesses 18 and 19, Fig. 2, in lugs or projections I K formed on the under side of the barrels B B, the lug I dropping into the opening m and being provided with a longitudinal rectangular slot, 20, extending through it, ofthe same width as the rectangular portion ofthe bolt from 12 to 13, by which construction the lug I ts snugly into the opening m, and the sides of the rectangular slot 20 come in contact with the sides ofthe rectangular portion oi' the bolt from 12 to 13, while the heads u c iit snugly within their recesses 1S 19, thereby aiording a long or extended bearing-surface, which more etfeetually prevents any lateral vibration and insures the rigid locking of the barrels when in their firing position. Into the upright portion ofthe rear end 7c of the bolt H passes a screw, p, which extends down through a hammer-guard and lifter L, the lower portion of which iits loosely in a slot, r, made through the tang C, bywhich means as the guardlever E is pressed down the upper portion of the hammer-lifter, through the connections described, is caused to slide back, the stops s s on its sides being thus brought against projections t t eX- tending from the inner sides of the hammers, thereby pressing them back till they are brought into the half-cock position shown in Fig. 3, simultaneously with which operation the bolt is moved back sufficiently to withdraw the heads u v from their recesses 1S 19 in the lugs I K into the solid portions la of the breech-block, when the rear ends of the barrels are free to be swung up into their loading position. After the cartridges have been entered the rear ends of the barrels are swung down and the lugs I K are again brought snugly into their openings, the bolt being forced back against the resistance of a sprin g,M,by the rounded corners of the lugs coming in contact With the beveled portions of the heads u t, When the bolt is thrown forward by the spring M, carrying the heads u t into their recesses 18 19, by which means the barrels are locked in place, the hammer-guard and lifter L being at the same time carried forward, so that its stops s s will not be in the Way of the projections t t, when the hammers descend to strike the firing-pins.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the hammer-guard and lifter, besides carrying the hammers to the position of a half-cock, also prevent them from striking the iring-pins when the barrels are not locked to the breech-block. Instead of operating the bolt L in the-precise manner herein described, the link G may be dispensed with, and the bolt be directly pivoted to and operated by the guard-lever, or a vertical crankshaft passing up through the tang C may be emat its top, having a lateral motion; but I prefer the construction first described, on account of its simplicity, reliability, and convenience.

. What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A bolt, H, in combination with slotted and recessed lugs I K formed on the under side of the barrel or barrels, and operating substantial- 1y in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. A hammer-guard and lifter, L, operated by the guard-lever E, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

3. The guard-lever E, bolt H, one or more slotted and recessed lugs I K, and the hammerguard and lifter L, all combined and operating substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

Withess my hand this 23d day of June, A. D. 1871.

A; E. VHITMORE.

Witnesses:

N. W. STEARNs, WV. J. CAMBRIDGE. 

